HSLU Structured Text Reference

Structered Text Reference

Contents
1. Variables ...................................................................................................................................... 2
2. Constants ..................................................................................................................................... 3
3. Decisions...................................................................................................................................... 3
IF ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
IF/ELSE ............................................................................................................................................. 4
ELSIF................................................................................................................................................. 4
CASE ................................................................................................................................................. 4
4. Loops ........................................................................................................................................... 5
FOR .................................................................................................................................................. 5
WHILE .............................................................................................................................................. 5
REPEAT............................................................................................................................................. 5
EXIT .................................................................................................................................................. 6
CONTINUE........................................................................................................................................ 6
5. Arrays........................................................................................................................................... 6
6. Enums .......................................................................................................................................... 7
7. Structures .................................................................................................................................... 8
8. Programmable Organization Unit Objects (POUs) ...................................................................... 9
Function ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Program ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Function Block ............................................................................................................................... 10

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HSLU Structured Text Reference

1. Variables
Declaration
Example:
VAR
counter: INT := 0;
END_VAR

Description:
1. Name of the variable
2. Data type of variable
3. Initial value of variable

Variables are used as placeholders. Values can be assigned to or read from variables. They can also be used in
comparisons.

USAGE
Example:
counter := counter + 1;

anotherCounter := counter;

IF counter < 100 THEN

...
END_IF

Description:
1. Reads current value of variable counter adds 1 and assigns this new value to counter.
2. Reads current value of variable counter and assigns it to anotherCounter.
3. Reads current value of variable counter and checks if it's smaller than 100.

Data Types
Name Description Range Memory use
in Byte
BOOL Boolean TRUE, FALSE 1
BYTE Unsigned fixed point (same as USINT) 0 ... 255 1
WORD Unsigned fixed point (same as UINT) 0 ... 65535 2
DWORD Unsigned fixed point (same as UDINT) 0 ... 4294967295 4
SINT Signed fixed point -128 ... 127 1
USINT Unsigned fixed point 0 ... 255 1
INT Signed fixed point -32768 ... 32767 2
UINT Unsigned fixed point 0 ... 65535 2
DINT Signed fixed point -2147483648 ... 2147483647 4
UDINT Unsigned fixed point 0 ... 4294967295 4
REAL Decimal point -3.402823E38 ... 3.402823E38 4
LREAL Decimal point -1.79769313486231E308 ... 8
1.79769313486232E308

Further data types which are not listed here: STRING, TIME, TIME_OF_DAY, DATE, DATE_AND_TIME

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HSLU Structured Text Reference

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/core_languagemodelm
anager_decl_home.htm
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/variables_initialization.
htm
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tcplccontrol/html/tcplcctrl_plc_data_types
_overview.htm

2. Constants
Declaration
Example:
VAR_GLOBAL CONSTANT
PI: REAL := 3.15159;
END_VAR

Description:
1. Name of the constant
2. Data type of constant
3. Value of constant

Constants can be used for values that don't change. They make code much more readable and less error prone,
because they can be changed in a single location and don't have to be tracked all over the code.

USAGE
Example:
temp := SIN(2 * PI * x);

Description:
Looks up the value of the constant and uses it for the calculation.

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/Constants_CONSTANT_
Typed_Literals.htm

3. Decisions
IF
Example:
IF i = 100 THEN
...
END_IF

Description:
Executes the instructions if the boolean condition is true.

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HSLU Structured Text Reference

IF/ELSE
Example:
IF i = 100 THEN
...
ELSE
...
END_IF

Description:
Executes the instructions if the boolean condition is true, else the other instructions are executed.

ELSIF
Example:
IF i = 100 THEN
...
ELSIF i = 200 THEN
...
ELSE
...
END_IF

Description:
Executes the instructions if the boolean condition is true. Executes the next instructions if the following
boolean condition is true. Executes the last instructions if none of the boolean conditions above are true.
Multiple ELSIF instructions can be used between the first IF and the last ELSE.

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/ifinstruction.htm
CASE
Example:
CASE foodAtHome OF
Spagetthi:
...
Pizza:
...
Bread, Butter, Marmelade:
...
ELSE:
...
END_CASE

Description:
Executes the instructions of the label that matches the condition variable. If no label matches, the instructions
after ELSE are executed.

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/caseinstruction.htm

Stefan Ineichen (stefan.ineichen.01@hslu.ch) 4 / 10

HSLU Structured Text Reference

4. Loops
FOR
Example:
i : INT;

FOR i := 1 TO 10 BY 1 DO
...
END_FOR

Description:
1. First initializes counter
2. Checks if counter has reached the stop limit
3. Executes the instructions in the loop
4. Increases the counter a certain amount
5. Goes to 2.

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/FORloop.htm
WHILE
Example:
WHILE time < 10 DO
...
END_WHILE

Description:
1. Checks boolean condition
2. If the condition is TRUE:
o Executes the instructions in the loop
o Goes to 1.
3. Leaves the loop if condition is FALSE

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/whileloop.htm
REPEAT
Example:
REPEAT
...
UNTIL time < 10
END_REPEAT

Description:
1. Executes the instructions in the loop
2. Checks boolean condition
3. As long as the condition is TRUE:
o Goes to 1.
4. Leaves the loop if condition is FALSE

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/repeatloop.htm

Stefan Ineichen (stefan.ineichen.01@hslu.ch) 5 / 10

HSLU Structured Text Reference

EXIT
Example:
WHILE TRUE DO
IF i = 100 THEN
EXIT;
END_IF
END_WHILE

Description:
Exits the innermost loop immediately.

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/exitinstruction.htm
CONTINUE
Example:
WHILE TRUE DO
IF i = 100 THEN
CONTINUE;
END_IF
...
END_WHILE

Description:
Ignores the following instructions in the loop and starts with the next loop cycle.

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tc3_plc_intro/html/continue_instruction.ht
m

5. Arrays
Declaration
Example:
myArray: ARRAY [1..10] OF INT;

Description:
4. Variable name of the array
5. Lowest and highest index.
6. Data type of array

Arrays can store a number of elements of the same data type. In the example above the array consists of 10
INT elements. One to three dimensional arrays are supported. It's a good practise to use constants to specify
the indices. These constants can be used when accessing the elements later on.

Accessing elements
Example:
myArray[1] := 345;
temp := myArray[2];
Description:
1. Variable name of the array
2. Index to read from or write to.
Stefan Ineichen (stefan.ineichen.01@hslu.ch) 6 / 10
HSLU Structured Text Reference

Each element of an array can be accessed by it's index. Trying to access a nonexistent index results in an error
at runtime.

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/TcPlcControl/HTML/TcPlcCtrl_ARRAY.htm

6. Enums
Declaration
Example:
TYPE StopLight:
(
StopLightRed,
StopLightYellow,
StopLightGreen
);
END_TYPE

Description:
1. Enum name
2. Possible values of enum

Enums allow to create a datatype that can only have certain values. If decisions are using Enums it's more
obvious what the decision is about instead of when using plain numbers. To avoid naming conflicts the name
of the Enum should precede all it's defined values.

Using enums
Example:
aLight: StopLight;

aLight := StopLightRed;

IF aLight = StopLightGreen THEN

...
END_IF

Description:
1. Name of variable that uses an Enum as data type
2. Assigning of or comparing to an Enum value

Enums can be used as data types for regular variables or also with ARRAYs.

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tcplccontrol/html/tcplcctrl_enum.htm

Stefan Ineichen (stefan.ineichen.01@hslu.ch) 7 / 10

HSLU Structured Text Reference

7. Structures
Declaration
Example:
TYPE Car:
STRUCT
MaxSpeed: REAL;
Price: REAL;
NumberOfSeats: INT;
END_STRUCT
END_TYPE

Description:
1. Structure name
2. Variable names and data types

Structures allow to compose new data types. This makes it easier to handle data that belongs together.
Structures can consist of regular data types (like INT, REAL, etc.), ARRAYs or even other structures.

Using structures
Example:
toyotaCorolla: Car;

toyotaCorolla.MaxSpeed := 160;
toyotaCorolla.Price := 21555.5;
toyotaCorolla.NumberOfSeats := 5;

Description:
1. Name of variable that uses a structure as data type
2. Accessing the elements of the variable.

Structures can be used as data types for regular variables or also with ARRAYs.

Beckhoff:
http://infosys.beckhoff.com/english.php?content=../content/1033/tcplccontrol/html/tcplcctrl_struct.htm

Stefan Ineichen (stefan.ineichen.01@hslu.ch) 8 / 10